She tried—but failed miserably. The tremble in her hands now worsened as she dropped the knife for the tenth time. Adrian refused to let her change, and the tattered pieces of her dignity clung to her skin. She was relieved at least her chest and private parts were covered, but what about her self-esteem, her dignity, her womanhood? She felt herself slipping into a fake abyss once again. She hated this. With all her guts and wanted nothing more than to run back to her room, close the door and hide underneath the blanket. She wanted to cry. But she couldn’t. Adrian just told her to make dinner. She didn’t know why she was obeying him, but one thing was for sure, he was not going to let her leave so easily. She shuddered at the feel of his cold gaze on her as he sat on the chair and observed her. His eyes lingered on her with such intensity that paralysed her to her core. That made her wither in disgust. “How long?” Adrian asked feigning boredom tapping his chin as if he just tried

Amara was restless. She couldn’t even do any chores. The laundry was dirty, the kitchen was a mess, and even her room was unkempt. It took everything in her not to get under the warmth of blankets and sleep in. Cause the more she stayed awake, the deeper her thoughts were taking her. Ever since Rhys left, she sat alone in the dimly lit living room, the curtains draped over the window—she didn’t even know if it was still a day or the night was ascending. The silence echoed the turmoil within her. The subtle hum of the clock on the wall seemed to mock the chaotic rhythm of her thoughts. As she traced absent patterns on the armrest of the couch, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. Her fingers brushed over the petals of Peonies, the velvety texture felt soft against her skin, and the sweet and delicate fragrance, not overpowering but rather a soft lingering aroma that reminded her of Rhys.The way his fingers traced the length of her neck, the way his lips moulded her in a fierce heate

Amara narrowed her eyes at him. The audacity of this man. Something in her expression must’ve betrayed her because he let out a short laugh. “Ah, I see. Is it because I didn’t tell you I lived here?” Padding to the kitchen in his bare feet, he asked, “Have you had breakfast?”Amara shook her head unconsciously, feeling like a mute but afraid that her voice might betray her nervousness. This was not the best thing she was doing. Why had she thought that bearding the lion in his den was somehow better than trying to avoid him altogether? But there was no turning back now.She was standing in his house. Even though he was just wearing pants, with full clothes she was feeling more vulnerable. She tried not to look at him as it was indecent for her to ogle at him. She averted her eyes to the floor-to-ceiling window giving her full view of the city. The curtains were opened and there was a large black leather couch in the middle of the living room. The contrasting shades of beige and nu

Amara blushed. Her cheeks and the rims of her ears were painted in the deepest shade of red. Just like the soft hue of a rose in full bloom, like a delicate sunset. Rhys fought for his self-control, which was slowly slipping through his fingers. How could someone look so innocent yet temptingly stunning at the same time? The way she looked at him through her lowered eyes, the way her skin tingled underneath his touch. Rhys could die thousands of deaths just to feel her. His eyes slowly raked over her neck which now was covered with marks, the marks that he left on her. The possessiveness in his thundered like the wild roar of a hungry lion. He wanted her, wanted the peaceful delight of being a part of her life, of being able to embrace her during the midnight hours and observe her presence at the breakfast table. He longed to be with her during her sickness and revel in her happiness when she was in good health. Occasionally, when his monsters overwhelmed him, he also wanted to c

“Now you’re trying to seduce my friend too?” Adrian grabbed Amara by the neck and slammed her hard against the wall as soon as Anna and Abigail left. Amara felt her windpipe breaking as her eyes automatically watered. She tried to shake her head only for him to grab her by the hair as he pushed her down on the floor. Her head hit the sharp corner of the coffee table and she winced. Before she could process, Adrian crouched down and grabbed her by the neck once again. His eyes screaming at her with so much anger and jealousy. Fear gripped Amara's eyes, widening them in terror as Adrian's hand closed around her neck tightly, a stark realization of danger etched across her face. “Adrian…it’s not like…” Adrian raised his hand and struck her across the face. A momentary silence engulfed her. The flickering lights above her cast shadows around her and with trembling hands, she slowly touched her cheek where he hit her. Her heart shattered so did her life. Every comforting word he had